This charming little gem serves up elegant fare in St. Paul.
Cuisine
Open
Dinner nightlyFeatures
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Romantic setting
- Kid-friendly
- Reservations suggested
- Valet parking
- Casual
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| Judging by its location---the knotty pine-lined basement of an apartment building near a college campus---the 128 Café should be a dive. Instead, it's one of the most charming and heartfelt restaurants in the Twin Cities, a place where you'll feel like chef Ian Pierce is cooking for you and you alone. A medley of grilled vegetables, set on a bed of saffron couscous with currants, chickpeas and cilantro zapped with honey-lime vinaigrette, is a typical 128 classic creation, which are restless, eclectic and a little wild. But even meat-and-potato-lovers go for this place: there's a reason why the slow-braised pork baby-back barbecued ribs have long been the kitchen's top-selling dish. Much of the menu is composed of food that is built to satisfy, whether it’s beef tenderloin in a pool of red wine demi-glace or fork-tender pork with hearty gnocchi. A tip to the sweet souls out there: this is one place where we always try to leave room for dessert. |
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